Light without electricity? Glowing algae could make it possible
37 points
by geox
2 days ago
| 8 comments
| colorado.edu
| HN
card_zero
1 hour ago
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> Because these algae are photosynthetic ... "We’re storing carbon while we’re producing light"

The circle of light! Perpetual illumination! Let the algae do photosynthesis using their own light output as energy!

What's happening, chemically? Let's see ... it's luciferin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Luciferin_Light_Emission_... Isn't that CO2 being emitted on the right, there?

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technotony
54 minutes ago
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I hope this works. A decade ago I submitted glowing microbes to the epa but they blocked it. My read from going through that was that it was politically impossible. Hopefully times have changed.

Edit: my microbes were gmo, these are not, so no epa rules. Good luck to them!

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arthurcolle
47 minutes ago
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did you keep a few of your gmo cultures?
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ceejayoz
3 hours ago
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This feels like weird framing. They still need energy to produce it.

I have a genetically engineered luminescent petunia plant. It’s neat, but a ways off from being useful for anything.

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aetherspawn
2 hours ago
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Wow.. this is maybe the plant for anyone interested: https://light.bio/
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contingencies
1 hour ago
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walrus01
2 hours ago
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It rather resembles the CGI protomolecule from 'The Expanse'.
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Razengan
1 hour ago
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Technically [nerd emoji] nothing is possible without electricity

(No I don’t go to any parties)

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cassianoleal
3 hours ago
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So can torches and candles.
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dullcrisp
3 hours ago
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The sun?
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sandworm101
2 hours ago
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Why all the bother with 3d-printed gel shapes? Why not just use a mat of these things, all glowing, and then put it behind an LCD panel. Then you can have moving pictures without all the bother of 3d printing.

Then you can take the next step and both their apparent output further by replacing the algae with tiny blue LED modules.

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kiba
2 hours ago
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I think it's fine for research, curiosity, aesthetic and coolness factor. Not everything need to be 'practical'.
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m3kw9
2 hours ago
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good for car dashboards, maybe for not vital areas
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Razengan
1 hour ago
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I don’t want algae on my vital areas
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